Chapter 315: Specifications of the Ship

Thanks to Tran’s hospitality, we enjoyed a very fun tour of the ship and a meal. After eating, Tran and his men escorted us back, and we returned to Tribute.

“Mu! Lord Van has returned!”

At Dee’s call, everyone gathered, creating a lively ruckus. Panamera was among them, and wearing a meaningful smile, she spoke.

“Oh, you’re back. How was it?”

“Yes, it was fun! I was even treated to the fish cuisine of the Kingdom of Fiesta!”

“That isn’t exactly the kind of impression I wanted to hear…”

Panamera looked like she was about to stumble at my words and said that with a complicated expression. I nodded with a wry smile.

“Of course, I understand. I think we can build a ship.”

“What! Is that true!?”

When I answered, Panamera looked up energetically, her eyes sparkling. However, I held up both palms toward her and waved them back and forth.

“However, I still do not understand the critical functions. That includes the most important part: the countermeasures against large aquatic magical beasts.”

Upon hearing that, Panamera crossed her arms and pulled back her chin. She appeared to ponder for a moment, but soon the corner of her mouth lifted.

“Well, if we can just get a ship that huge to float, that is a sufficient result. For now, we can say we have built a good relationship with Lord Tran. It should be possible to meet again, so let us research it at a later date.”

“It seems the metal plates covering that ship are related, but it doesn’t look like it will be easy, you know?”

When I asked back, feeling slightly anxious at Panamera’s words, she nodded while laughing.

“It likely won’t be easy. But it is a necessary technology. Let us leave that area to the researchers in the Royal Capital. Well, despite saying that, it feels like the Boy might just whip it up effortlessly.”

Panamera laughed sarcastically.

The next day, we visited Rosso again. Perhaps intending to stay in Tribute until Tran set sail, he had not yet returned to the fortress city where his own castle was located.

“Good morning, Your Excellency.”

“Good morning!”

“Oh, Lord Panamera. You are beautiful this morning as well. I am glad to see Lord Van looking well too.”

When we greeted him, Rosso answered in high spirits.

“G-Good morning, Marquis Rosso.”

“Mm. Lady Arte is lovely this morning as well. I look forward to your future.”

“Eh, uh, ah, thank you, very much…!”

Rosso’s style of smoothly praising women. Arte was blushing bright red in embarrassment. Frustrating. I’ll have to use him as a reference. By the way, Targa also greeted him, but Rosso only returned a light “Good morning, Lord Targa.” It might be a long time before Targa is recognized as a Baron. Well, the man himself doesn’t think of himself as a noble, so he probably didn’t feel anything.

Alright, let’s have Targa play a more active role and try hard so he can eventually be granted a territory. If Panamera and Targa both hold territories, they might be able to protect me.

While I was thinking about various things, Rosso turned his face toward me.

“So, Lord Van. How was the ship?”

Cutting the greetings short, Rosso immediately entered the main topic. His attitude hadn’t changed much, but his eyes were directed straight at me. Inwardly, Rosso must also have a strong interest in the ship. No, considering the possibility of operating it as a weapon, it is only natural.

“First, please look at this.”

So as not to keep Rosso waiting, I quickly spread the documents on the table. Rosso instructed us to sit with just a gesture, and he himself took the seat where the documents could be seen best. By the way, I had Esparda come along this time as well. He had been standing behind us, erasing his presence like a servant, but when I spread out the prepared documents, he appeared next to me without a sound.

“These are blueprints.”

When Esparda muttered quietly, Panamera widened her eyes and spoke.

“…I am surprised. I never thought you could draw it in such detail.”

Saying that, Panamera placed her palm on the three-view drawing of the ship spread out on the table and traced the lines with her finger.

The documents spread on the table were the ship’s blueprints I drew by asking Esparda to cut down my study time. It was a good thing I studied drafting even in the general course. Behold the power of the Drafting Skills Test Grade 3.

While making a smug face inwardly thinking that, I explained the drawings to Rosso.

“This is the floor plan. It is a view of the ship from above. First, we start with the drawing of the deck.”

“Hmm. A floor plan, is it? I see. I have been shown blueprints by the head carpenter of the castle. The appearance is quite different, but I assume it is something similar. Even so, this is interesting.”

Rosso looked at the details of the drawing with admiration. I nodded at that and explained little by little.

“This is the scale… Ah, the thickness of the walls and pillars here is set tentatively… I couldn’t inspect the fifth sheet, the floor plan of the lowest part, so I drew it based on imagination from the ship’s shape. What do you think?”

I explained in detail at length, sheet by sheet, but everyone, including Rosso, listened silently. I wanted to say “thank you for listening,” but this wasn’t a simple presentation of a project; it was an explanation of critical materials that could affect the future shipbuilding business of the Kingdom of Scuderia. Since there is no guarantee we can inspect the Kingdom of Fiesta’s ship in the future, a proper discussion is necessary.

I intended to ask for confirmation with that in mind, but no one answered.

“…Huh?”

As I looked around tilting my head, Esparda turned toward me with a difficult expression.

“Lord Van… with it drawn this precisely, it seems impossible to answer what might be wrong without checking with a professional shipwright.”

“Eh? Even you, Esparda?”

When I asked that, Esparda nodded quietly.