Chapter 20: Assistant Ringmaster Ella (1)
Today is the day the ship sent by the Vergsong Family is due to arrive.
We loaded all our baggage onto the wagon and waited for the ship.
Perhaps it was thanks to the warning from the Asville Merchant Guild, but this time, there was no one causing trouble or disputes.
Some even gave us friendly glances among the crowd.
It was all because we had injected new life into this rural market town for the past few days.
The promised time was approaching.
In the distance, we could see the flag of the Vergsong family on the approaching ship.
The members started to murmur as they confirmed the ship's appearance.
"That's it?"
"Nah, it can't be."
"It's probably just a passing ship."
However, contrary to the members' expectations, the ship didn't change its course.
It was clearly heading straight towards us.
As we watched the ship approaching Asville, the members couldn't hide their astonishment.
"Wow..."
"Look at that."
"Why is a ship like that coming here?"
"Hey, everyone, clear the way for the ship!"
"Hurry up!"
The ships that had been docked haphazardly quickly moved to the edges.
Even to an outsider like me, the difference between the old ships and this state-of-the-art steamship was apparent, both in size and elegant appearance.
The overwhelming grandeur was enough to fill the port to the brim.
We weren't the only ones surprised; even the local residents who had been working came out to watch the steamship entering the port.
"Is that the ship the ringmaster requested...?"
"Well, well, well. I only received a reply from Lady Anais saying they would send a ship."
"Surprising, isn't it? I thought at most we'd get a cargo ship to carry our stuff..."
I agreed with the words.
This was beyond our expectations.
Anais had been so strict about sponsorship, even demanding that I write letters every week for expenses, and now she was sending such an extravagant ship.
"Is it expensive?"
"Expensive? Ha!"
Ella chuckled.
"Even if we pooled our earnings from the past ten days, it would be difficult to rent a cabin for a day."
"Are you saying that for just one cabin?"
"Just one, indeed and with Just Womon we wont be able to fit in."
The money we had earned in the past ten days was not insignificant.
Despite the incident at the market, the performance continued to thrive.
It was a full house every day. They even gave us more compensation than what was written in the contract, thanking us for our efforts at the Merchant Guild.
We had earned quite a bit, or so I thought...
"Steamships are generally expensive. And this one is among the most luxurious."
"Is that so? This is... Anais's intentions are hard to understand."
I pondered, and Ella turned to me with a narrowed gaze.
"Hey, what are you talking about?"
"You know. She asked me to send letters every week... she was so strict with our expenses. And now she is sending such an extravagant ship... Is it because she is stingy or generous...?"
What could be her motive?
While I was contemplating, Ella looked at me with a pitiful expression in her eyes.
"Why are you saying that?"
"Sending letters... it's just that..."
She pursed her lips as if about to say something but soon sighed and turned her head down.
"...No, it's nothing."
What was she trying to say?
At that moment, a familiar voice came from the ship.
"Hello! Ringmaster Wonderstein!"
I looked up at the deck and muttered in admiration.
Certainly, this ship was too grand for just our use.
It was not only large, but also very expensive.
But if important figures from the Merchant Guild were on board, it made sense.
A slender woman with green hair leaned on the railing.
Anais Vergsong.
She was the heiress of the Vergsong Domain and the chairman of the Vergsong Merchant Guild(Grand Assembly).
She waved and smiled warmly at me.
"It's been a while."
It had only been two weeks, but she looked significantly different.
Her pale face had regained its rosy colour, and her once feeble gait was now confident.
She wore a bright dress suitable for outings instead of her sombre indoor clothes and a wide-brimmed hat, giving off a fresh vibe.
But most notably, her tone of voice had changed.
I no longer sensed that edgy, prickly atmosphere.
Could it be because she had removed her mask?
Or perhaps something within her had changed?
I couldn't tell for sure, but it was a much more pleasant voice to listen to.
"Are you checking on the result of the surgery, Ringmaster?"
I snapped out of my thoughts as she spoke in her refined voice.
To examine a woman's body so closely like this.
It was the same mistake as when we first met.
Fortunately, she didn't seem angry.
Instead, she raised her chin and looked at me with a strange smile.
"So, how is it? According to the expert. Is there any problem?"
"Yes, thankfully. You look healthy."
"Well, I see... But can you really tell just by looking?"
She pulled down her cardigan slightly.
I examined her respiratory function through the [Evolution Research Institute].
There didn't seem to be any abnormalities.
"Just by looking is enough. You seem fine."
"Is that so? Well... I guess I can't help it... Oh, no... I mean, that's a relief! If I had to let someone else touch me again... it would have been awkward..."
She blushed and quickly pulled down her cardigan.
It seemed like that day's memory was quite embarrassing for her.
Well, I did something like that to a human who didn't like it...
"Anyway... Oh, I see. You needed a ship, right? It was lucky for me that I happened to pass by this area. Well, I mean... lucky for you, I guess. Thanks to that, you get to ride the best ship in our trading company."
Ding, ding, ding.
Suddenly, a bell rang.
It was a sound coming from the ship.
"Please step back for a moment!"
With the shouts of the crew, a section of the ship's wall slowly descended.
Could it have this kind of function?
With a thud, the cargo hold of the ship was opened.
The inside of the ship was revealed, like a drawbridge being lowered.
The entrance to the cargo hold was wide.
It was big enough for a carriage to fit through.
"Load the big cargo first! The smaller ones can come later!"
Following the crew's instructions, the members began to load the cargo one by one.
I tried to help, but...
"The crew is watching you. Don't interfere and just stay up here."
Ella's cold response left me with no choice.
My favourability had increased considerably, but her attitude towards me was becoming increasingly blunt.
Especially since her favourability had surpassed 10, she didn't even greet me properly.
It seemed like she was even kinder when the favourability was at 5.
What did I do wrong?
Anyway, there was nothing wrong with what she said.
Except for Yurakne and Womon, the other members were still uncomfortable making eye contact with me.
How long would I have to remain in this awkward position?
I went up to the deck.
Anais had set up a makeshift table and was waiting for me.
Behind her stood a middle-aged adjutant in a blue coat, serving as her escort.
A typical 'adjutant' with a wide-brimmed leather hat adorned with feathers, a long, crooked nose, and a prominent mustache.
His gaze was imposing, as if he was looking down on someone.
On his back was a long rifle slanted diagonally.
But most importantly, the fact that he was here with Anais.
I knew who he was.
"You must be Adjutant Porsche."
I greeted him with a smile, not because of the 'smiling man'.
I was genuinely happy to see him.
"Do you know me?"
"The reputation of an adjutant like yourself is famous even among wanderers like us."
"Hahaha! Reputation, you say! I've only piled up a few insignificant ones!"
Porsche laughed heartily.
A typical adjutant's arrogance.
Simple charm that comes with a few compliments.
He was exactly like the Porsche I had seen in the game.
He was a support character in TT3.
Support characters are generally immortal and cannot be controlled, but instead, they automatically use support skills while following the main character.
There are dozens of support characters available in each game.
Support characters could be recruited into the party as the main quest progressed or by meeting specific conditions.
Up to 6 support characters could be brought along at once, and the choice of support character combination could drastically change the gameplay style.
Name: Porsche Grape
Age: 43
Favourability: 100
Title: Devotee of Vergsong
Occupation: Gunner
Recruitment Condition: Discover the "Devotee Pledge" at Vergsong's Mansion and have a conversation with him at the refugee camp.
Abilities:
Gunner Porsche Grape.
A gruff personality, middle-aged with a mustache, and some unfavorable attributes.
Due to his sometimes tactless remarks that had adverse effects in certain dialogue choices, he was often referred to as "that mustache" among fans.
However, despite this image, he was an excellent support character in terms of performance.
His favourability reward, "Reload!", was essential when forming a ranged party, and his favourability reward "Leave It to Me!" was a rare skill nullification in the game.
Any game wide-area buffs and survival skills.
While he might not have reached S-tier, he was always present when discussing A-tier supports.
And he was my "original comrade" in this world after coming over.
My happiness in seeing him was genuine.
Members of the Monster Circus.
Anais, Pierre, the butler, and so on.
I had only seen people meet unfortunate fates until now, but finally, I met someone without any burdens.
"I heard that you saved Lady's life... but as an expert, I couldn't help but notice a few shortcomings. Well, I can't blame you for being less experienced than us professionals..."
Hmm, is this a bit uncomfortable?
Whether in the game or here, he was always chatty.
Unfortunately, there was no skip conversation function like in the game.
"If I was there, I would have quickly deflected the revolver even with it on my back. Even like this, thanks to my reflexes trained through practice, I could aim accurately in less than a second..."
"Grape!"
Anais glared at him fiercely.
His momentum, which was bragging just a moment ago, was instantly broken by her.
Was it just my imagination that his mustache seemed to droop like that?
"Captain wants to have a conversation with you, so please step aside."
"Oh, alright."
Porsche Grape moved away with a slightly surprised look on his face.
Anais corrected her expression and looked at me again.
"I'm sorry. Porsche is the patron saint of our territory, so even if he receives a modest compliment, he tends to get carried away... and endlessly boast until you scold him."
"Haha, where can you find a gunner who doesn't brag about themselves? If I ever meet one who doesn't boast about their marksmanship or guns, I thought I'd have to buy them a drink someday, but I haven't had the chance yet."
Anais burst into laughter at my words.
This was a joke thieves made when traveling with Porsche Grape as a supporter, but it was well received even here
I was seated across from her.
A waiter who had been waiting in the distance approached and served me a refreshing drink as well.
"But is Lady also going with us?"
In response to my question, Anais twitched her shoulder.
She frowned as if implying something.
"I'm not, not necessarily because I want to go! It's just that if you show us in a pathetic light and ruin our reputation, it's not good for our guild... We're going to monitor you!"
"Hehe, is that so? Thanks to you, it seems like it will be a pleasant journey."
It wasn't an empty word.
I genuinely enjoyed her company.
I got tired of the carriage trip after just one week.
To modern people used to traveling by car, this era's carriages, which were slow and uncomfortable, would never be tolerable.
That would be the same for ships, I thought.
Ships rocking on the water would make me feel seasick just by looking at them.
I thought I should create the "Gravity Ringr" feature recommended by the Evolution Research Lab.
In the meantime, I was relieved that I could ride on such a luxurious cruise ship.
"Will you continue to travel with us in the future?"
Traveling in luxury on an airship, how comfortable it would be.
"Will I continue to travel with you...? Well, I'm a busy person, you know? Well, I guess I could consider it if you really want me to..."
Anais avoided giving a clear answer, turning her gaze away.
I guess she couldn't give a straightforward reply.
Well, it was nice to travel together for a while.
On such a beautiful ship,
"I hope we can continue to travel together."
Anais blushed and turned her head as if she were embarrassed.
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