——Month X, Day ×.
Arrived in Cartafus.
Weather is perfectly clear.
I was able to send Rael and the others off, and successfully deliver the cargo.
A proper repair of the ship would be impossible unless I return to Baim. However, with emergency repairs, I should have no trouble making it back to Baim. Still, I decided to keep the cargo lighter than usual.
——Month X, Day △.
Third day since arriving in Cartafus.
Weather is overcast. The sea is also somewhat rough.
Word has it that Rael and the others have become quite famous at the Cartafus Guild. On top of that, despite me telling them to hold off on trading Tracey's materials, they apparently refused to do so and the materials didn't sell at all.
Meanwhile, I'm receiving Magic Stones of impressive size and high purity here, and it honestly makes me feel a little bad.
I'll need to think about additional rewards.
——Month X, Day ○.
A week has passed since arriving in Cartafus.
Weather is rainy.
The sea is rough, and there are ships that haven't made it into port. Many merchants look worried.
Even so, I've been approached by the Guild and various merchants with offers to buy the Magic Stones I've obtained, saying they'd really like me to sell them.
I'm planning to bring them back to Baim, so I politely declined.
Incidentally, I heard from Guild staff that Rael and the others have headed off to subdue a Land Dragon.
——Month X, Day ▽.
It's raining again today.
The ship's emergency repairs are finished, but sorting out the cargo to deliver to Baim is taking time.
The merchant ships that never made it to port apparently had a high likelihood of having sunk. Many of the merchants were holding their heads in despair.
Amid all that, I handed a letter addressed to my father to a merchant ship bound for Baim.
By now, Rael and the others should be fighting the Land Dragon from the commission. I'd heard rumors—the Land Dragon isn't as dangerous as a Trashey, but it's not an opponent to underestimate.
I pray for their safety.
——Month X, Day ▲.
The captain told me I've been sighing a lot lately.
When he asked with a grinning face, "Thinking about your man?" I turned red and denied it, and the crew members all burst out laughing.
I can't accept this.
I decided I'd give them an earful when they got back.
Today was clear.
——Month X, Day □.
Rael and the others haven't come back.
If things went well, they should have returned sometime between yesterday and today. As I paced restlessly around the ship, the crew watched me with knowing smirks.
When I kicked their backsides, they looked pleased, so I retreated to my room.
I'm trying not to think about it, but Rael's face keeps popping into my head whether I'm awake or asleep.
It hurts my chest more than thinking about Roland ever did.
Today was cloudy.
——Month X, Day ◇.
Soon, I was told by a Guild staff member that Laiel and the others would be arriving at the harbor.
I found myself lying in bed, touching my lips more and more often.
When I touched the area around my collarbone, it reminded me of that day.
This is bad. Really bad. I accepted a package that a Guild staff member wanted delivered to Baim's Guild, but I forgot to negotiate and just accepted it at their asking price.
What a blunder.
——Month X, Day ◇.
Laiel and the others had returned to the ship after completing their quest.
I heard there were as many as four Land Dragons — I silently swore in my heart that I would be stricter with the Cartafus Guild from now on.
When I saw them for the first time in a while, I couldn't bring myself to look at them.
I asked Clara about recent events, and it seemed like Laiel had been thinking about quite a few things lately.
More than that, when Novem saw my face, she gave me a meaningful smile. When I told Clara about that, she said she'd gotten Novem's permission.
Was Novem managing the female group?
Should I check with them beforehand before kissing?
The dark interior of the ship.
I turned to the ship's log I had found in Vera's room and flipped through it, feeling like I'd seen something I shouldn't have.
Toward the end, there was nothing written about the weather or any other sailing matters.
(Third Generation told me to read it, but...)
When I looked back, I could see Vera lying on the bed. Around her, Shannon was wrapped in a blanket and asleep, and on the sofa, Aria and Eva were entangled together in sleep.
Monica had finished cleaning up the party area and was standing in Sleep Mode, asleep on her feet.
Novem and Clara were also wrapped in blankets, snuggled up together asleep.
The waves were gentle, and the moonlight made for a beautiful night. Light from the moon streamed through the window, allowing me to read the navigation log by its glow.
When Miranda shifted in her sleep, I quickly placed the log on the table and moved away from it.
I had woken up and found myself in this situation. I let out a sigh of relief once I confirmed no one else was awake.
Then—
"Run away, dolly~"
Just as I thought I heard that sleepy mumble, May tumbled out of Vera's bed.
(She was sleeping there... I didn't notice.)
Vera then slowly sat up. Our eyes met as she looked drowsily at me, and then her gaze went behind me, her eyes widening.
Her violet eyes were looking at the navigation log I'd placed on the bookshelf by the table behind me.
The Third Generation laughed.
*'Ah, it's upside down,'*
she said, clearly enjoying the situation. When I noticed the log's text was reversed, Mireia spoke.
*'Lyle, it's rude to read someone's diary.'*
I thought, 'Are you really bringing that up now?' but I felt like she secretly understood what was going on. She was Miranda and Shannon's ancestor, after all. Surely she had a bit of a wicked side to her.
"Y-You read it?"
Vera's tense voice and the near-tears expression on her face left me at a loss for how to respond.
(Wh-What do I do?! Denying it here definitely won't work. But reading someone's diary is the worst thing... That's it! I'll act like, 'Yep, I'm that kind of scumbag!')
After taking a slightly deeper breath, I delivered a theatrical line.
"I-It's better if we don't hide things from each other, right? I wanted to know everything about you."
Internally, though.
(How's that, you self-centered narcissist! This should totally creep her out!)
Just as I was thinking that, the successive heads of the Jewel along with their plus-one delivered their verdict.
'Wow, that's harsh'
'Were you trying to imitate Lyle-san? I can't see anyone pulling that off, though'
'They're both Lyle, but something's different'
'You stuttered right off the bat, Lyle. That won't do. Maintain your composure no matter what'
'My, I think he put in a decent effort? I hope it works out, Lyle'
(Mireia caught on. No, the Third Generation noticed too... Damn it, every last one of them seems to be enjoying themselves by seeing right through my plan.)
As I watched Vera, she looked down and tucked her hair behind her ear. The black locks of her two side-updo swayed, and the room seemed brighter than before.
My eyes must have been getting used to the dark by now.
Vera stood up and walked toward me. I braced myself, figuring I could take a slap if it came to that, and the image of the Sixth Generation getting slapped over and over by his mother until he was a total mess flashed through my mind.
(That—this has to be better than that, at least!)
As I steeled myself, Vera drew close to me—
"Y-You know, a deal's a deal. You said if you admitted defeat, I'd get to do this."
Vera hugged me, and her small chest pressed against my body. I was about to lean back when a loud voice came from the Jewel.
'Don't you dare pull away! Wrap both arms around her gently, Lyle!'
This way-too-into-it Mireia had to have a bad personality. Convinced that the Sixth Generation must have been deceived by her too, I did as I was told and hugged her back.
I held her close and—
(Wait—this is heading exactly where I think it is—!)
—and then she kissed me. Her tongue slipped lightly into my mouth, and when we parted, a thin thread of saliva stretched between us. The thread broke almost instantly, but Vera—
"If there's anything I can do for you, just say the word. I may not be able to mobilize the Trace Trading Company, but I can at least offer some support."
The Third Generation.
"Lael, the moocher, is really something. He manages to snag rich girls in Banseim this easily. Now then, I wonder how much we can squeeze out of him."
The Fourth Generation's voice sounded cheerful. Probably because she was talking about money.
"Two thousand, maybe three thousand? He might even have five thousand on him. I can hardly wait!"
These guys... I always think this, but they're the absolute worst.
That's when I snapped to attention and looked around the room while still holding Vera. It was a dark room. But from within it, sixteen eyes were staring right at me.
It was terrifying. Honestly, I was genuinely frightened by the sight.
(...More girls keep piling up, and my heart is overflowing with guilt. So stop looking at me like that!)
The next day.
In Vera's cabin, I sat on the sofa across from her.
Novem had declared that she would explain our situation to Vera in detail. And that if Vera wasn't prepared for this, she should step aside.
(Shouldn't you have said that part sooner?)
That's what I was thinking, but I calmly explained everything to Vera.
About Ceres—
About Banseim—
And about my objective—
With just this small group, we were picking a fight with the great nation of Banseim. Vera listened with a serious expression, her fingers pressed to her lips as she sank into thought.
Sipping the tea that had been set before her, Vera spoke.
"I never expected things to have turned out like this. Under normal circumstances, no one would believe it. Mental-type Skills are certainly troublesome, but charm-type Skills all have their weaknesses. Occasionally, when the user is exceptional or the Skill itself is extraordinary, but for the most part, there's no such thing as a permanent effect. If there were, everyone around would have intervened long before now."
Mental-type Skills — Vera had declared that Ceres's charm was exactly that.
I spoke to clear up the misunderstanding.
"My sister Ceres — it's not clearly confirmed to be a charm-type Skill. There are other strange things going on besides that. But Banseim has started going crazy because of her, thanks to it."
The tragedies unfolding in Banseim due to Ceres were probably still increasing at this very moment.
Whether what she was doing was truly the charm Skill, even I didn't know.
(If anyone would know, it'd probably be Novem or Septem.)
Vera leaned her elbow on the armrest of the sofa, tilting her body slightly.
"Fine then. I'll support you. You'll need money, after all. Of course, I'll speak with Father when I get back, but even for his daughter's request, he's strict about business. If he thinks there's no chance of success, he'd hand Laiel over to Ceres without a second thought."
Hearing that, Novem simply smiled.
"Then we have our own arrangements. Being handed over for free is out of the question."
Vera nodded at the self-assured Novem.
"I figured. You wouldn't want to fight the adventurer party that brought down Trashy, either. There'd be casualties on our side too. But you'll need to make Father believe there's a real chance of winning. And not that it's my place to say, but one of Baim's premier merchant houses... they won't move without profit."
Inside the Jewel.
The Fourth Generation chimed in, agreeing that it was only natural.
"Of course. Merchants don't act without profit. Occasionally, there are those who move regardless of profit, but to get them to bet on Laiel instead of Ceres, you'd need to demonstrate that level of winning odds and return."
Vera finished her tea, and Monica had already prepared a fresh cup. Vera accepted it and took another sip.
"I understand the reasoning behind challenging the great nation of Banseim. But honestly, as things stand now, Baim will end up as Laiel's enemy. No matter how dangerous Ceres might be, there's a big difference between hearing about the danger through reports and actually feeling it firsthand. Plenty of people think there are all sorts of ways to profit from the situation."
Novem appeared to share the same view.
That was exactly why we had been carefully selecting which merchant house to seek support from. After deliberation, the Trace family stood out as the most promising candidate.
"I think so too. That is precisely why I'm asking. The Trace family... no — how Laiel can secure Baim's support."
Vera set down her teacup, leaned back against the sofa's headrest, and gazed up at the ceiling.
It seemed like a difficult topic — she looked reluctant to speak. But when she turned her face toward us, she began discussing the possibility of us securing support.
"Baim is a city of adventurers and merchants. But in reality, even the Adventurers' Guild can't go against the decisions of Baim's Merchant Council — well, that's what they're called by convention, the merchants who make the calls. The Trace family alone won't cut it. You need to be acknowledged by at least five or then six merchants."
Would that be enough? Just as I started thinking it sounded simple, the Fifth Generation's voice came from inside the Jewel.
*'Supported by many merchants, huh. That's tough.'*
As if to prompt that explanation, Vera continued.
"It's not easy, you know. The moment we make a move, there are people who will try to outmaneuver us. People who side with Ceres will show up too. There will even be merchants who try to curry favor with both Laiel and Ceres, all to profit from the war."
Novem asked Vera a question. It was straightforward.
In a situation like this, what would it take to gather support for me.
"What would Lord Laiel need in order to win the support of many merchants?"
Vera answered with a smile.
"Turning a profit for Baim, that's what. In truth, anyone who hears the rumors about Celeste Walt and thinks about them in Baim would consider her dangerous. But that's exactly what merchants do — they try to find profit even against someone like Ceres. So, Laiel — for now, it's better not to reveal your objective."
Now was not the time to act. Hearing that, I understood. Winning Baim as an ally was a critical challenge for me, someone with no money.
As I nodded, Vera let out a sigh.
"Well then, shall we talk about the amount I can provide? With things as they stand, you won't be able to do anything, so I'll offer the funds I have discretion over. You don't need to pay me back, but I expect you won't forget this favor."
I smiled back at Vera, who was grinning like a mischievous imp.
"I'm grateful. I won't ever forget."
"...The fact that you can say something like that so casually — maybe you've got a genuine side even when you're fired up. Well, fine. The amount I can offer is —"
Inside the Jewel, the Successive Heads were buzzing with excitement.
Especially the Fourth Generation.
"Something! Five thousand would cover our operating costs for a while!"
The Seventh Generation spoke with exasperation.
"No matter how wealthy a merchant's daughter she may be, she's still a child. I wouldn't set your hopes too high, if I were you."
If I could get even a reasonable amount of money, combined with this job's reward, things would be far more manageable.
Just as I was thinking that, Vera blurted out something absurd.
"Ten thousand gold coins. Would that be enough? I never really had anything to spend on, so I've been hoarding them. That's the best I can do right now, Lyle."
My smile froze on my face. Novem, who was standing beside me, heard it and said:
"If we have that much, we can put Professor Damian's plan into motion. We won't have to worry about short-term funding. This is wonderful news, Lord Lyle."
I let out a dry laugh.
"O-oh. Ahaha, ahahahaha. Yeah, that's a huge help!"
I answered with a smile. Vera blushed and looked down slightly.
"Th-this is all I can really do, though... I could also introduce you to some craftsmen, I suppose? But that's through the Trace Trading Company's connections, and if it's a personal request from me, I'm not sure they'd accept..."
Amid the atmosphere of suddenly having everything seemingly solved, the Fifth Generation muttered quietly.
"…I don't think we can just leave Baim be."
The Third Generation agreed.
"This is a matter where Lyle needs to decide on a course of action quickly. Depending on the situation, if we don't impose restrictions on Baim, things could get very serious."
They were advising me with grave expressions.