About twenty crew members from Tran’s ship, Fleetwood, came aboard the prototype ship. I watched as the crew, amazed, raised the sails and checked the movements of the steering wheel.
“Viscount Van, if the beam of the mast can be slightly movable, we can adjust the angle of the sails. It’s a small change, but even slight differences in movement will affect the stability.”
“It’s like a yacht. Is it because of the wind magic?”
“Viscount Van, you should consider improving the pulleys used for raising and lowering the anchor. With the current setup, no matter how much strength you have...”
“Huh? Dee raised it by himself!”
“Wahaha! Well, it’s good exercise!”
“Is he a monster...?”
With those remarks, I took notes as Tran gave advice on the finer details. Tran was more proactive in checking the ship and giving advice than I had expected.
“Also, there need to be mechanisms in several places to prevent flooding if water enters the ship. With a ship this size, the first and second floors could be completely submerged without sinking, but if the third floor starts flooding, there’s nothing we can do.”
“I see. Oh, by the way, what do we do if a hole is made in the hull?”
“As an emergency measure, we’d use earth magic to seal it. Once the flooding stops, we’ll quickly seal the hole with repair materials, that’s the plan.”
“Oh, with magic...”
I continued taking notes, listening to the unexpected answers.
“Also, it’s difficult to judge since we can’t see the underwater conditions, but the stability against side waves is lacking. Perhaps the ship doesn’t have lateral fins near the bottom? Adding lateral fins will stabilize the ship. If we make the fins larger, it will stabilize at higher speeds, but it will slow down the turning speed.”
“Oh, I see...! That should definitely stabilize it!”
“...You two, while I know you’re getting excited, shouldn’t we head back for dinner soon? It’ll be nightfall soon.”
As we walked around the ship for the third round, Panamera called out to us. Looking around and checking the deck, I saw everyone looking at us with wry smiles. It seemed we had become so absorbed in the ship that we hadn’t noticed the surroundings.
“Ah, sorry about that. Let’s head back to Tribute. Oh, Tran, would you like to join us for dinner?”
“Dinner, you say?”
“I found a great restaurant! Well, it’s the only one I know, though…”
I invited him for dinner, and Tran laughed cheerfully.
“Hahaha! In that case, it seems like we know Tribute better than you. There’s a great place for meat dishes, although it’s a bit on the outskirts of town.”
“Really? I thought Tribute was all about fish dishes, but meat sounds great too! Let’s go there!”
I agreed enthusiastically to Tran’s words, and then Rosso approached, chuckling.
“Hm. I was thinking of having dinner at my residence, but it seems Van-sama is the one who has managed to get closer to Tran. In that case, if it’s fine with you, may I join you for dinner as well?”
“Eh!? Marquis, you want to eat at a restaurant!?”
I stepped back in shock at Rosso’s statement. As I was stunned, Panamera shrugged her shoulders with an irritated expression.
“I’ve also eaten at public restaurants with the boy from time to time. I’m starting to feel a bit discriminated against with the difference between you and me, Your Excellency.”
“I’m so sorry!”
I apologized reflexively. After all, Panamera, who claims to be an upstart, doesn’t exactly have the demeanor of a noble. Honestly, she reminds me more of a mercenary leader or a bandit chief. I can almost picture her leading knights into a tavern and drinking heavily. On the other hand, Rosso is clearly a genuine noble. I can’t imagine him eating in a restaurant where regular people are dining.
“Hm? Boy, are you thinking something rude? My intuition is telling me…”
“P-Panamera, would you like to join us too!? It’s meat! Oh, and there’s alcohol too, right!?”
“Ah, ah. They have a variety of wines, and the reputation among my subordinates was good…”
Trying to avoid Panamera’s half-lidded glare, I turned to Tran and he picked up on the cue, responding accordingly.
“Aren’t you changing the subject, boy?”
“Panamera! I’ll treat you to meat and alcohol!”
“Hmph, meat and alcohol, you say?”
She didn’t seem fully convinced, but at least she backed down. I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like I had narrowly escaped a crisis when Rosso shook my shoulder and laughed.
“Hahaha! Well, it seems fun, and that’s what matters. I would love to join you, but what do you think?”
At Rosso’s words, I couldn’t help but turn my face toward Tran. Tran, smiling wryly, nodded.
“Of course. I have a few things I’d like to ask as well.”
And so, an unusual dinner gathering was decided. I had expected things to be more formal with the grand marquis, but Rosso’s frankness was truly surprising.
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