3. Deputy Leader Ella (1)
3. Deputy Leader Ella (1)
The trading company ship was due today.
We loaded all our luggage onto the wagons and waited at the ferry dock.
Thanks to the Axville Merchants Association's warning, no one tried to pick a fight this time. Some of the looks we got were even friendly. We had, after all, breathed an enormous amount of life into this rural market over the past few days.
The appointed hour drew near. Far off, a ship flying the Bergson family banner came into view. The troupe members started murmuring among themselves.
-Is that it?
-Nah, no way.
-Just a ship passing through.
Contrary to their predictions, the vessel didn't change course. It was heading straight for us.
Watching it ease into the ferry dock, the troupe couldn't hide their astonishment.
Bwant-bwaaang—
A blaring steam whistle echoed across the port. It was a state-of-the-art paddle steamer, the kind used as a passenger liner for the wealthy. The fishing boats moored nearby were comically small by comparison. Its sheer size overwhelmed the dock, filling it with a majestic presence.
We weren't the only ones stunned. The locals stopped their work and came out to watch the steamship come into port.
-What's a ship like that doing in a backwater like this?
-Hey, clear the boats! All of you!
-Hurry!
The fishing boats, which had been berthed haphazardly, scrambled to retreat to the edges.
Even to my untrained eye, the gap between those old fishing boats and this paddle steamer was immense. In sheer size, and in the quality of its craftsmanship.
"Troupe Leader, is that... the ship you requested?"
"Heh heh, surely not. The Viscountess only replied that she would simply send a boat."
"This is unexpected. I assumed we'd be tucked into a corner of some cargo ship, at best..."
I agreed with Yurakne. This was beyond my expectations. The Viscountess who had been so stingy she might withdraw her patronage from the man who saved her life—I hadn't imagined she would be this generous.
Ella was the only one among us who wasn't surprised. She had her hands shoved into the pockets of her tailcoat and was whistling.
"That's the Bergsons for you. Money to rot. Sending a boat like this."
"Is it very expensive?"
"Expensive?"
Ella let out a derisive snort.
"Even if we pooled every penny we earned in four days, we probably couldn't rent a cabin for a day."
"You don't mean just one cabin, do you?"
"One, yeah. If Ratmen slept on top of Umon's ship, we could all squeeze in."
The money we had made over the last four days was hardly a small sum. Despite the incident at the fish market, our performances had been hits. Full houses every day. The merchants' association even gave us a bonus, thanking us for our hard work beyond the contract terms.
I'd thought we had made a fairly decent amount...
"Steamships are always pricey. And this one is top-of-the-line."
"Is that so? Well, then... the Viscountess's intentions are rather opaque."
Ella tilted her head at my words and looked back at me.
"What do you mean?"
"You know. The weekly letters she demanded. She was so rigid about how we spent our money. Yet she dispatches a ship like this without a second thought... I can't tell if she's miserly or generous..."
Did she have an ulterior motive? As I was pondering this, Ella narrowed her eyes and stared at me.
"Hey, you..."
Her eyes were filled with sheer disbelief.
"What is it?"
"Asking you to send letters, it's..."
She parted her lips as if to say something, then let out a sigh and shook her head.
"...Never mind. Forget it."
What had she been about to say?
Just then, a familiar voice called from the ship's deck.
"Hello there! Troupe Leader Wonderstein!"
I looked up at the deck and let out a small murmur of admiration.
This ship was definitely too grand a means of transport just for us. Not only its size, but above all, its cost.
But if a key figure from the trading company was on board, it made perfect sense.
A slender woman with green hair leaned against the railing.
Anais Bergson. Viscountess of the Bergson territory and President of the Bergson Trading Company.
She smiled brightly and gave me a small wave.
"It's been a while."
Barely two weeks had passed, yet she was visibly transformed. Her once-pale face had a healthy flush, and her precarious gait was now confident. A bright traveling dress and a wide-brimmed hat replaced her dreary indoor gown, projecting a fresh and airy presence.
Most of all, the tone of her voice had changed. That irritable, prickly edge was nowhere to be found.
Was it because she had taken off her mask? Or had something inside her changed?
Whatever the reason, it was much more pleasant to hear.
"Checking the results of your surgery, are you, Troupe Leader?"
Her coy voice snapped me back to attention. Here I was, openly scrutinizing a lady's body. It was the same blunder I'd made when we first met.
Fortunately, she didn't seem angry. She propped her chin on her hand and gave me an enigmatic smile.
"So, how is it? In your expert opinion. No problems?"
"Yes. That's a relief. You look to be in good health."
"Hmm, hmm. I-is that so... But... can you really tell just by looking?"
She tugged her cardigan down slightly. I checked her respiratory function using the Evolution Lab's diagnosis. Nothing appeared to be abnormal.
"Looking is quite sufficient. You're normal."
"O-oh, is that so? I suppose it can't be helped... ugh, ah, no... W-well, that's a relief! If I'd had to let you lay hands on me again... that would have been... a-awkward..."
Her face flushed red, and she yanked her cardigan back up. The memory of that day must have been mortifying. Well, considering what she endured at the hands of a man she had so despised...
"...Well, a-anyway... I-I understand. You said you needed a ship, yes? How fortunate that I happened to be passing through this area. F-for you all, of course... I mean, it's lucky for you. Since it means you get to ride on our company's finest ship."
Ding-ding-ding. A bell suddenly rang from the ship.
-Please stand back for a moment!
As the crew shouted, a section of the steamship's side wall slowly lowered.
It even had a function like this? With a heavy thud, the cargo hold opened. The ship's interior was revealed through the lowered section, which spread out like a drawbridge.
The entrance to the cargo hold was wide enough for a whole wagon to roll inside.
-Load the large luggage first! Small items later! Big things first!
Following the crew's directions, the troupe members started loading the baggage in order. I moved to help, but—
"The troupe's on edge watching you. Don't get in the way. Just go up on deck."
At Ella's cold reaction, I had no choice but to back off.
I'd thought her Affection level had risen quite a bit, but her attitude toward me was growing sharper. Especially after her Affection level surpassed 10, she wouldn't even return my greetings properly.
It felt like she had been kinder when her Affection level was at 5. Had I done something wrong?
Still, she wasn't wrong. Aside from Yurakne and Umon, the troupe members still avoided meeting my eyes.
How long would I have to exist on the fringes like this?
I went up onto the deck. Anais had set up a simple table and was waiting for me. Behind her, a middle-aged musketeer in a blue coat stood as her escort. A leather cavalry hat with a wide brim and a feather decoration—the textbook image of a 'musketeer.'
He had an elongated nose and a striking curled mustache. A gaze that seemed to look down on people. A long rifle slung diagonally across his back. And above all, the fact that he was with Anais. I knew exactly who he was.
"You must be Sir Porshu."
I smiled warmly and offered a greeting. It wasn't just because of 'The Smiling Man.' I was genuinely glad to see him.
"...You know of me?"
"A musketeer's renown is such that even wandering folk like us have heard of you."
"Wahaha! Renown! It's nothing but a few trivial marks I've accumulated!"
Sir Porshu laughed heartily.
The pomposity fitting a musketeer's rank. The simplicity of being won over by a few compliments. His personality was identical to the Sir Porshu I'd seen in the game.
He was a support character who appeared in TT3.
Support characters were fundamentally immortal and couldn't be directly controlled, but they followed the main characters around and used auxiliary skills automatically. There were dozens of support characters in each game. You could recruit them into your party by advancing the Main Quest or meeting certain conditions.
You could take up to six with you at a time. Your playstyle would change dramatically depending on which combination of support characters you built your party around.
Name: Porshu Grape
Age: 43
Affection level: 100
Title: Vassal of Viscountess Bergson
Occupation: Musketeer
Recruitment Condition: Discover the 'Vassal Oath Document' at Viscountess Bergson's manor, then speak with him at the refugee camp.
Traits
: [Auto Fire]
-Fires a bullet that inflicts 1 Piercing damage every 1 second.
[Musketeer's Pride]: Affection level 15 reward
-Overcomes moments of crisis independently.
[Explosive Fire]: Affection level 30 reward
-Fires a bullet that inflicts 5 Explosive damage every 10 seconds.
[Reload!]: Affection level 50 reward
-Increases all ranged characters' attack speed by 15%.
[Paralyzing Shot]: Affection level 75 reward
-Fires a bullet that inflicts 1-second Paralysis every 12 seconds.
[Leave This to Me!]: Affection level 100 reward
-Takes a player-targeted skill on your behalf every 80 seconds.
Musketeer Sir Porshu. A boorish personality and the unlikeable trait of being a middle-aged man with a mustache. Plus a few dialogue choices where his tactless comments backfired—among fans, he was known by the derisive nickname 'that mustache.'
But apart from that image, his performance as a support was solid. His reward at Affection level 50, 'Reload!,' was essential for a ranged party, and his reward at Affection level 100, 'Leave This to Me!,' was one of the few targeted skill nullifications in the game. In any game, area buffs and survival skills are prized. He wasn't S-tier, but when discussing A-tier, he was a support who never got left out.
And he was the first of my 'original comrades' I'd seen since crossing over into this world. My delight at seeing him was genuine. The Monster Circus Troupe members. Anais, Pierre, the butler. After seeing only people who met tragic ends, I'd finally met someone who didn't feel like a burden.
"I heard you saved the Viscountess's life... As a specialist, I noticed a few regrettable points. Well, compared to us who have received professional training, a certain lack of proficiency is inevitable..."
Hmm. This might be a little tiresome. In the game or here, he was equally a chatterbox.
Unfortunately, there was no spacebar to skip dialogue here.
"Had I been there, I would have swiftly shot the revolver out of his hand with rapid fire. Even with a rifle slung on my back like this, my honed reflexes would have allowed me to—in less than a second—with pinpoint accuracy..."
"Sir Porshu!"
Anais glared at him fiercely. His bluster crumpled in an instant under her sharp rebuke.
Was it just my imagination, or did his mustache seem to droop?
"I need to speak with the Troupe Leader, so please step back over there."
"A-ah, understood."
With a slightly startled face, Sir Porshu retreated to a distance. Anais fixed her expression and looked back at me.
"My apologies. Sir Porshu is a vassal of our territory, but he has a personality that gets puffed up by even polite flattery... If you build him up once, he never stops bragging."
"Haha, show me a musketeer who isn't like that. If I ever met a musketeer who didn't boast about himself or his gun, I always thought I'd have to buy him a drink. I've never been able to buy that drink in my life."
Anais burst out laughing at my words. It was a joke a thief told when you took Sir Porshu as a support character, and the Viscountess appreciated it.
I took the seat across from her. A waiter who had been waiting at a distance approached and poured a chilled beverage into my glass.
"Are you traveling with us as well, Viscountess?"
Anais flinched at my question. She furrowed her brow as if to glare at me.
"I-It's not that I particularly want to go! It's just that if you all make a pathetic showing under our company's name, it would be a problem... So I'm going to supervise!"
"Heh heh, is that so? Thanks to you, it looks to be an enjoyable journey."
These weren't empty words. I was genuinely glad to see her.
Traveling by wagon had lost its charm after a week. To a modern person used to riding in cars, the slow, bone-rattling carriages of this era were not something to be endured for long.
Boats would be no different. The sailing ships bobbing on the river. Just looking at them made me feel seasick.
I'd started wondering if I should go ahead and create that 'Gravity Field Semicircular Canal' trait the Evolution Lab had recommended. Amidst all that, being able to board such a fine cruise ship was a real stroke of luck.
"Will you be continuing to travel with us from now on?"
Selling the wagons and traveling in luxury on an airship! How comfortable that would be.
"C-continuing together...? I... I'm a very busy person, you know? Well, if you really wish it, it's not outside the realm of consideration..."
Anais averted her gaze, avoiding a direct answer.
So she wouldn't give a definite reply. Well, at least traveling together for a while was something, wasn't it?
Riding a fine ship like this.
"It would be nice if we could stay together."
And no more writing those wretched letters.
"Wh-what are you saying..."
Anais turned her head, her cheeks flushed.