Striving For The Luxury Liner – Vol 10 Chapter 18

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Chapter 18 – The Power of Souvenirs

From Flora-san, I received information and a map of the duke’s castle, which had sunk to the bottom of the sea. I have roughly chosen a submarine to get there, and now all I have to do is choose and buy a submarine with Alessia-san and the others, rescue Ines, and go on a treasure hunt. I’m getting very excited.

“What kind of ship are you going to buy, Wataru-san?”

Alessia-san asked me with an incredibly excited expression on her face. Since no one but Alessia-san and Ilma-san had returned, she had to wait until after dinner, which seemed to make her anticipation even greater. If I had said something like, “Today’s dinner was delicious, too,” she would have been offended.

“Let’s see, I narrowed down several candidates at lunchtime, and I’m going to choose two of them, one for the main course and one for the side dish. I’ll show you the candidates now, so please let me know which ship you like.”

When I made the ship purchase screen visible to everyone, I was surrounded by seven beautiful women. I feel very popular and a little better. Oh, that chubby one… That’s Fuu-chan, huh?

With Rimu on my head and Fuu-chan and Beni-chan on both shoulders, I’m feeling a little buzzed. Normally I would be very happy with this situation, but this arrangement is a little sad in the middle of a crowded group of beautiful women.

“Wataru-san, it doesn’t look like a ship, but is that tube-like thing a ship that can dive into the sea?”

A tube? Hmm, does it look like a tube to Alessia-san? To me, with wings attached, it looks more like an airplane.

“Yes. It’s the perfect shape for diving.”

Maybe.

“I wonder what these numbers mean, Wataru-san?”

Dorothea-san seemed curious about the specifications of the submarine.

“Well, it’s the size and the number of how far it can dive into the sea. The ship I’m buying here should have an indestructible feature, so I don’t think you need to worry about anything other than the size.”

I guess it’ll be okay even if it’s 10,000 meters deep or something… It’ll be okay, right? I’m a little scared because I can’t imagine which is better, 10,000 meters of water pressure or the attack power of the gods. But as long as it’s within the range where mermaids can be active, it shouldn’t be a problem.

“Wataru-san, is there a shop on this ship?”

“Um, there are no shops on the submarine.”

Oof, Carla-san sighed. But there wasn’t even a store on the sightseeing submarine, so she had to give up. I can’t find it on the purchase screen, but I wonder if there’s a shop on a warship or something?

I mean, Alessia-san and the others are really interested in it. They asked me so many questions one after the other that I couldn’t answer them all.

“Phew. So this is the main submarine, and this round three-person submersible will be the submarine?”

When I confirmed it, everyone, including Rimu and the others, nodded their heads. But it took longer than expected. For the submersible, it was easy to decide to prepare several small three-person submersibles since we would be exploring the castle. However, it was difficult to choose the main submarine because of different preferences for the interior and equipment. Next time, I will buy one on my own without consulting them.

However, apart from the main one, the submarine was a bit disappointing. It seemed like it would have been fun to all be crammed into a small space, but after some calm discussion, we decided that there was no need to go to the trouble of cramming ourselves into a small space.

The cost was slightly lower for the tightly packed group, so I initially had the upper hand, but the tightly packed group would be larger than the small group and would have fewer moves, which would be detrimental to searching the castle, so it was crucial that there was no advantage other than cost.

“Wataru-san. An underwater adventure sounds like fun, doesn’t it? Fufu, I wonder what kind of world is under the sea?”

Alessia-san spoke to me in a great mood. She was looking forward to exploring under the sea. Well, according to the map we got, the castle is at a very deep depth, so there’s a possibility that it will be so dark that we won’t be able to see anything.

How long does it take for light to reach underwater? …No, I’m sure I’ve heard of it, but I can’t remember. Didn’t they teach you that in school? Well, it’s a place that mermaids can reach, so light can probably reach it, so it should be fine. There are things like water pressure and temperature involved, and I think no matter how many mermaids there are, they can’t dive that deep.

“I look forward to seeing what kind of world it is. For now, would it be all right if we practice on the sub tomorrow and the day after and leave the day after that?”

Even though I can operate any ship I buy, I am afraid to take a risk on a submarine. The submarine will be operated by Alessia-san and the others, so they should practice well. …I think I would get angry in Japan if I said something like “solid practice” after about two days of practice.

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to practicing as well.”

I left Alessia-san and the others, who were nodding in a good mood and returned to my room. She seemed to be in such a good mood that she would accept anything I asked her to do now. Perhaps I should have confessed.

By the way, I have to contact Ines. If I could talk to her tomorrow morning and ask her to come over the day after tomorrow, that should be fine.

＊＊＊

“No, I just came to tell Ines-san about my schedule, so there is no need for me to come in. It’s too early in the morning, so I can’t bother you…”

“If it’s Wataru-san, you’re always welcome here, so don’t worry about it being early in the morning. Please come in, come in.”

I only needed to talk to Ines for a minute, but Ines’ mother… er, Bella-san, dragged me into the house. I’m afraid the reaction is very different from what I’m used to. Felicia, Claretta-san, you are my escort, right? Please help me.

“Um, where’s Ines?”

Ines doesn’t show up, even though I’m sent into the living room and offered tea. And Bella-san sits smiling in front of me. I feel endlessly embarrassed.

“Her body is getting dull from all the housework and etiquette, so I let her go for a run. She should be back by now, so please wait a little.”

Ines runs? When she was with me, she did some pairing exercises with Felicia and Girasole, but she didn’t do that kind of physical training, did she?

Maybe she said her body was dull because she wanted to get away from housework and etiquette, but I think Bella-san is better than that, and she knocked her up in the morning and sent her running. She could have saved the lecture but instead dug her own grave.

“Oh, I see. Well… I don’t know if I should say this, but, you know, you’ve changed so much, so beautifully.”

It may seem strange to say this to the mother of my slave, but Bella-san has become so beautiful that I almost feel as if she has become young again. She is Ines’ mother, and although she was beautiful, to begin with, she now looks more like a sister than Ines’ mother.

Maybe it’s the effect of the souvenir I gave her, but how can a change occur so quickly? …Maybe the original potential was extraordinarily high; I don’t know.

“Fufu, thank you very much. The beauty products and soaps that Wataru-san gave me were wonderful. And the donuts, right? They were delicious, too.”

This good mood seemed to be a result of the souvenirs. If she is so happy, I will give her another delivery before I leave the Aquamarine Kingdom.

“I’m home… Oh, Master. You came to pick me up!”

Ines came back with eyes like dead fish, but her face lit up as soon as she saw me. I felt a little happy. But I didn’t come to pick her up today. It would be bad for Ines’ family if I took her away suddenly, and I wanted her to wait until tomorrow night.

“We are going on a little adventure, not today, but the day after tomorrow. I’d like you to come with me tomorrow night. Is that okay with you?”

I said, and Ines led me into the corner of the room. Do we still need to have a private talk?

(Wait, why tomorrow night?)

Ines looks incredibly frustrated.

(Well, do you still have problems staying at home? Bella-san seems to be in a great mood, and the lectures are over, right?)

Do you really hate housework and etiquette so much? That’s the part I want you to work on. I’d like to experience the graceful Ines or Ines’ home cooking.

(Master. You need to learn more about women’s hearts. That smile isn’t just a smile; it’s the smile of a predator with hidden desires!)

She must be under a lot of stress because Ines says some crazy things.

(What do you mean?)

(She’s quiet now when Master is here, but when Master isn’t, she asks a lot of questions to find out the secret of my beauty. I’d rather have a lecture than this. Even Flora has noticed the change in my mother and is questioning me. Maybe she’ll come over tonight and make a fuss again).

Well, Bella-san has suddenly changed so much. Flora-san must be wondering about it too.

(What does Bella-san want to hear if she’s become so beautiful?)

Bella-san has become amazingly beautiful, right?

(Master is naive, you know. Yes, it is true that she has changed a lot since taking care of herself, but from a woman’s point of view, the difference between her and me is obvious).

(It’s the difference in the number of times you’ve taken care of yourself, isn’t it? Why don’t you tell her that she will become more beautiful with time?)

(I said it’s the difference in frequency and age, but she sees the difference not only in my hair and face but also in the shine of my skin and my nails, and she asks me about those differences as well).

The difference in age is… How could you go into the dangerous part, even when you are dealing with your own mother? Isn’t that why you get run over in the morning?

And the difference in the nails and the skin? I can only vaguely tell the difference, but it’s probably the effect of a full-body treatment or a nail salon. Hmm, a full-body beauty treatment is really impossible to get as a souvenir, so what’s the point?

Hmm… even if I don’t think about it, the luxury liner has gone public, and my secret is almost out, right? Hmm, if she makes a contract with the God of Commerce-sama, just in case, would it be okay if I invite her on the luxury liner? But I’m afraid that might be a good opportunity to further lose control of my information.

(Master…)

Whew, it’s not a life-threatening situation, and I have no problem leaving it alone, but I feel weak when Ines stares at me with teary eyes. I’m wondering if I should leave her alone until tomorrow night and run away from the Aquamarine Kingdom after the exploration or invite her family to the luxury liner… I’m at a loss.

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