Dream Life - 480 Episode XX

The Deoddard Chamber of Commerce merchant ship we’re boarding, the Ruad Selby, suffered extensive damage to its bow two days ago in a battle against a Periplus privateer.

Although first aid was applied, we had to head to the port of Abergele in the Holy King of Lukes instead of the Gartbrek on the island of Finis, our original destination.

We don’t encounter the two private looters that attacked us, and we arrive safely in port.

Here Abergele is the second city of the Holy King. The castle fortified city, a remnant of the imperial period, is on the north side of the harbour, but more than that the city is spreading, giving the impression of being cluttered in a far-sighted way.

“The fortified city has become an office of the Holy Kingdom and an institution of the Light Divinity. If the Imperial Army attacked us, we would abandon our citizens and stand alone. It’s what they’re going to think…”

Aldas Duncan, captain of the Selby, explained it in a rare and spicy way. Originally, officials at the Deoddard Chamber of Commerce hated Light Divinity so naturally, but I recognise that Duncan, who has a strong impression of being a gentleman, said in a strong tone that he wholeheartedly hates Light Divinity.

“There are also numerous departure agencies of the Holy King’s Palace in the port. I also have information that I have seen the Beast Slave, so I suggest you stay out of the cabin, although it may be cramped.”

The Beast Slave is an elite unit of the Holy King who fought when his grandfather was ordained a knight. It is assumed that not only will we gather information and disturb the rear, but we will also carry out assassinations, and we are also opponents.

It is a decision to remain on the ship, but there are still concerns.

“I heard there was an ad hoc inspection by the security authorities, what would you do then”

“Let’s push it through with the story of Professor Erbain’s assistant and escort. Dear Zacharias, Lydiane and Sharon have the Orb of the Mage Guild, and Dear Beatrice and Melissa have the Orb of the Second Adventurer. It’s a little tough, but let’s cut through with bribes.”

Originally, I am not lying because I accompany you as an assistant to Professor Kitley Erbain. He also actually has a contract as an escort and assistant. Even so, it’s for disguise, not monetary.

The first day continued to pass aboard and nothing happened.

Repairs were also carried out by the sailors in the meantime, but large-scale damage has been found to take an entire three days to hire a ship carpenter in the harbor.

James Sullivan, Comptroller General (Purser), came to the report at night to gather information as supplies were replenished.

“We’ve been collecting information at our Chamber of Commerce branch, and the information we got at Portsmere seems to be correct. There is no doubt that the Holy King is on the run to prepare for war…”

The Deodard Chamber of Commerce has branches not only in the Holy City of Paxlumen, but also in Abergele, the commercial capital.

“They seem to collect not only food, but also iron and other materials and arrows. He said there had been other tax increases recently, and I heard that many of the chambers of commerce affiliated with the Commercial Alliance were considering withdrawing from the Holy Kingdom. There are other priests who go around the villages to preach the defeat of the Empire…”

It raises funds for the stockpiling of strategic supplies and even improves the morale of peasants who become soldiers. I have to snort if they say I’m ready for war.

“… I mean the Beastman Slave Squad, but it was as rumored. Officials at the Holy King’s Palace said they were hunting for espionage, and I heard many merchant ship crews were taken for questioning. And they say many of them haven’t returned.”

“Is there going to be an ad hoc examination?

“Instructions from the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce have asked the Branch Manager to flex the officials of the Holy King’s Palace. I was wondering if we could avoid an immediate examination if we succeeded.”

But that expectation was to be betrayed.

The next day, a man named an official of the Holy King’s Palace came aboard a ship with several soldiers.

“It’s Paolo Questi from the Security Bureau. I suspect a spy is lurking on this ship…”

I heard voices from an open window.

“That sounds like a hassle. What are you gonna do?,” Liddy asks, “but we just have to do as we meet.

“I’ll follow the meeting. Me and Mr. Kitley will negotiate, so don’t hang up when they’re involved.”

Tell him that and kill his breath and wait for the ad hoc team to disappear. But that wish did not come true.

I heard knocking on the door, Sullivan turning up,

“We’re going to interrogate the customers. Come to the captain’s office.”

I wanted to know what the situation was, but there were two soldiers of the Holy King’s Army behind him, and I couldn’t listen.

In the captain’s office, Captain Duncan was showing and explaining the paperwork to a man who looked nervous about forty years ago.

“… Our ship plans to purchase glass products in Jill Sole. As you can see from the load, there are some cereals for sale in Zirsole and some of the rare northern products around here.”

“I don’t think we can sell Sartooth luxury items in Zirsole. Are you sure we’re headed to Jill Saul?

“Of course it is. However, I am also thinking of going to the Empire if I can’t sell it in Zirsole. Because business is always about risk.”

I won’t show you how convinced I am by that explanation, but I noticed we came in and turned my gaze.

“Doctus researchers and their assistants, plus I hear they’re escorts, what do you mean? Isn’t it just young men and women!

It’s blatant intimidation because you should already know it in the papers. They’re threatening us, frightening us, trying to get information.

No one, including Mr. Kitley, is frightened by this level of threat.

“My name is Kitty Erbain. I’m a professor at the Tilia School of Magic. These three are high ranking mages belonging to the Mage Guild and are my assistants and escorts. The two in the back belong to the Adventurer Alliance.”

Mr. Kitley will explain as he meets, but an official named Questie is looking at us like he’s frigid.

“Confirm the orb,” ordered the soldier.

The soldier checks the orb. Mr. Kitley, I’ll check with me, Liddy and Sharon, but I’ll just report “no problem”.

I don’t have a criminal record, and my orb has a Lockhart name, but the Liddies kept their maiden names, so they didn’t seem to notice in a single soldier.

But when I checked Beatrice’s orb, I said, “Secondary adventurer!” and raise a voice of surprise. Because there are adventurers in the Holy King’s kingdom as well, but no second-class adventurers who are superior.

And even at Mel’s, “This guy’s a second-degree! I can’t believe it!” He raised his voice.

“We’re famous for Periclitle and Doctus,” Beatrice laughs niggardly.

Questy is surprised to hear, “Why are second-degree adventurers escorting researchers?”

“I’ve known the professor a long time. Not only Doctus, but Aquila Mountain has also provided many escorts. It’s like a trip this time, but I’m always hanging out with them because they bounce me a commission.”

I don’t change the frigid look on Beatrice’s description either.

“Turns out he’s a high-ranking adventurer, but it doesn’t prove he’s not an imperial spy. Let me talk to you in detail at the clock.”

I think it doesn’t taste good as it is, so I break into the conversation.

“I want you to let me know the charges. This is a traveler with an authentic orb. will, depending on it, protest against the Holy King through the Mage’s Guild”

Stop saluting until then and protest with strength. This is why I changed my attitude, but I thought this person rarely received a bribe for an official of the Holy Kingdom.

If you’re harassing people to take bribes and increase them even more, you should smell money on every word of it. But this questionable official did not do anything about it.

“It doesn’t matter if the Mage Guild protests. Just take the necessary steps for the safety of my country.”

That being said, I see a slight fright. He didn’t think we were going to defy him.

“Is that an action in the national interest of the Holy King? I also met the Saint Knights on their way to the Kingdom of Lax the other day, but they did not think at all of the national interests of the Holy King, for example, just to come and lay down their gold. I don’t mind if you’re one of them, but now rubbing with the Sorcerer’s Guild, or the City of Doctus, means Aurelia Street will be unusable. As you know, the Sorcerer’s Guild has already advised the Order of the Light God to stop its illegal practices. Ten years ago, the then President of the Council still has power. That’s what you’re doing with that in mind.”

Talk all at once so you can stand up.

Questy gets pushed by my momentum, but I can’t seem to pull in on what Pride once said or said to get in the way.

“It’s not a big deal, such as the problem of Aurelia Street becoming unusable. It’s more important to do something about an imperial spy than that.”

“Then I want you to tell your superiors about it and come here again. If the whole security service of the Holy Kingdom thinks so, accept it, even if it is an unjustified demand”

“That’s what I’m doing on my authority. It doesn’t matter to my boss or anything. Isn’t that why you hate it so much because it can be dark behind you?”

He threatens me, but he was clearly upset. He probably came here ignoring the opposition of his bribed boss.

So Captain Duncan came in between.

“Well, I guess it doesn’t have to get that hot. Our Deoddard Chamber of Commerce has always maintained a cooperative attitude towards the Church. Can you admit that?”

“Ugh, um. I have to admit that point,” he says, “but that’s why we can’t leave those suspected of espionage behind”.

“You’re in trouble. With that said, someone from our Chamber of Commerce said we needed to close the Abergele branch. I certainly don’t feel the need to set up a store where we treat our customers unfairly. When you get back to Aurelia, you have to report this to the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce.”

Questie turns blue on that word.

It would be because Aurelia’s leading chamber of commerce, a means of acquiring foreign currency, would be a liability issue if it closed its branches because of itself.

So the captain hits Pong and his hand.

“Here’s what I’ll do. Why don’t you check the bags of Professor Erbain and the escorts and ask them what’s going on in the storeroom if anything suspicious comes up?”

That’s the captain of a thousand seamounts. It keeps the drop tight.

“Fine. Then show him to the cabin.”

Then we check the cabin, but naturally no suspicious items emerge.

“Are you convinced,” the captain said, Questie nodded reluctantly, leaving the ship.

“You had bad luck,” the captain laughs bitterly.

“That one is the only official in this city who doesn’t work illegally. Well, I can’t say I’m capable, but he didn’t take any bribes and even accused his manager and colleagues of working fraud. You must have heard about the bribe, but you thought you’d be disposed of before you started with your boss, if nothing happened.”

It’s a rotten organization everywhere, but I’m not willing to appreciate the questy that moves just with a sense of justice.

If we are going to change the status quo, we should move forward with reforms by increasing our allies to tunnels, while doing our job honestly, without going out into the means of attribution. No one will follow those who can’t do their job wielding justice, nor will they deal with the relatively decent people in the upper management.

Later, he got an apology from Questy’s boss. Apparently, the branch manager protested at a strong pace, when he closed the branch.

“Thanks to you, I’ve got a lot of information. It seems quite reasonable to lose the branch of our Chamber of Commerce.”

That’s what Duncan says and laughs at, but the information asked wasn’t funny.

“It seems that the Holy King is seriously going to wage war. That’s also relatively early next year. They say the bureaucrats of the Holy King’s Office are desperately trying to stop it because there is no chance of victory, but neither the Archbishop nor the Holy King will have the ear to listen because it is God’s message.”

“Is it a divine announcement?

“Yeah, God of Light (Lucidus) stood on the archbishop’s dream pillow and said,” My manifestation will inevitably lead me to victory ”. The story seemed to be spreading well among the clergy, and the bureaucrats could only stretch it out by delaying the preparation for war.”

“Is it” my manifestation ”…” I could only whine.

(The word “Son of Lucidus” even came out of what I heard from God. What does that person have to do with the “manifestation” of God’s message? Is it the same person, or another person altogether… I can’t stick my neck in any more than there is no doubt that God is involved…)

I care about the story, but any further direct interference is forbidden by the gods.

“Either way, now you’re safe on this ship. He said the superiors of the Security Bureau had also discreetly disposed of him, so he won’t show up at least by the time he leaves the port.”

As the captain said, there was no contact after that from officials or from the Order of the Light God. More than that, they talked about not stimulating the Deodard Chamber of Commerce.

No more interference from the Holy Kingdom, but my heart didn’t clear.

(I wonder what kind of guy he is against Luna… he said he would be summoned soon, so I wonder where he is already in this world… did Luna get to see him safely…)

That was glued around my head.

November 15th.

The repairs were completed as planned.

We have information about the private looters that attacked us during the repairs.

“It was a Peripples private loot, as expected. Yesterday, I asked a merchant ship that came into port if they were going back to Periples or they were heading west and going yo-yo… they couldn’t even do the repair properly, so I guess it’s a situation where all the officers below the captain are wiped out and no commanders are there”

By the way, it seems that all that I took from the private looter that collided was something of value. Cash alone was 100,000 kronas, more than 100 million yen. Not only that, but we’ve also seized nautical charts and voyage logs, and the captain is a hockey face.

“Because I rarely get the nautical charts and voyage logs of private looters. If you bring this back to Aurelia, your guild will buy it high. It’s a complete black just for this reward.”

The sailors have thanked us many times for getting their share.

The Ruard Selby ran out to the outer sea to slip, pointing a needle at Gilsor Island.